James Earl Ray hospitalized again

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- James Earl Ray, the confessed
assassin of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was listed in fair
condition Thursday after being hospitalized for liver-related
problems.

It is the eighth time in less than a year Ray has entered the
hospital. Ray, 69, was admitted to Columbia Memorial
Hospital in Nashville Wednesday afternoon. He suffers from
cirrhosis of the liver.

Ray is serving a 99-year prison sentence for the 1968
shooting of King -- a crime Ray confessed to but recanted
shortly afterward. He has sought a trial ever since,
claiming his gun was planted near the scene.

Last month, Ray was denied a petition to be released on bail
to seek medical attention out of state. He is seeking a liver
transplant.